I was not the mare I am now
Rarity took a deep breath of the frigid, crisp air. Tonight she was going to tell everyone what had happened. She looked over her shoulder at her pack, and studied the slight bulge that was coming out of the bag. She turned to the door of the library, and rang the bell, waiting apprehensively. A few seconds afterward, Twilight came to the door, and welcomed Rarity in with a smile. Rarity smiled back, making idle conversation, and set her things at the door. She slipped a small wrapped package out of her bag, and put it in her sweater pocket. She turned to the table where, regrettably, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were already having a apple cider- drinking competition. Making her way to the food table, she talked to Fluttershy, who, as always, had her Angel Bunny with her. Rarity did all of the things that were customary for her the rest of the night, waiting for the moment that she would tell everypony.
Soon, the moment had arrived. The ornament exchange. Each mare exchanged presents, exclaiming with glee over what they got. Rarity had received a small sewing machine from Twilight, Twilight got a miniature readable book from Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash got a tiny replica of a sonic rainboom from Fluttershy, Fluttershy got an little party cannon that exploded from-who else?- Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie Pie had gotten a bouquet of balloons from Applejack. Everypony looked to Rarity, waiting for her to give her gift to Applejack. Rarity picked up Applejack's gift with magic, and handed it to her. Applejack tore open the present, looked at her present....
And froze.
Sitting in the middle of the tiny box was a bottle of tiny pills. Regular over-the-counter pills, nothing excitable. Except when taken in large doses. Everypony knew this. So they wondered why Rarity had given Applejack such a sometimes helpful, sometimes lethal, present.
Rarity lowered her head, and began, "Some years ago.... I was not the mare I am today..."
Rarity grimaced. Today was her second day of school, and she was still humiliated from what the students had done to her the day before. They had taken her apart in the most brutal way possible, taunting her, calling her rude and names that would be considered profanity. They had called her "nobody", "stuck-up !@#$%..." , and many other things not to be repeated. As she walked through the doors, somepony called out, "Oh look! She's back for more!" Advancing toward Rarity, the most prominent tormentor of yesterday sneered, his horn lighting up with green magic. "You ready for some humiliation time?" He laughed, casting a spell on Rarity's hoof-sewn clothes. Rarity looked down at her once-fabulous dress and screamed in horror, the beautiful dress becoming a frilly, rainbow number that was absolutely hideous.
"What's wrong, Rara-!@#$%?" he asked, "I thought you liked frills!" He said with a fake simpering look on his face. A devilish smile overcame his features. "Then why don't I... make them stuck on you!" Another green flash enveloped Rarity, but she was already running.
Rarity galloped to the filly's room, and stared at her reflection in horror. Her mascara was runny, and the dress looked horrible. She tried to use her magic to take it off, or, better yet, revert it to it's original glory, but she soon discovered that the dress would not come off. It was, in essential, stuck to her by her tormentor's magic. Rarity looked at herself and sobbed even more, realizing that the ponies of the school would not leave her alone for the rest of the year. That much was prominent.
Rarity's torment only got worse throughout the year. Even worse, because the bullies' parents held high positions in the status fabric, the teachers turned a blind eye to what was happening to the white-and-purple filly. Every day, Rarity underwent ponies that would embarrass her in front of the entire school, give her a personal helping of personal and physical abuse, and many other unspeakable things.
Soon the torment got so bad that Rarity decided she needed a way out from the pain. She went to the local doctor, and ordered some pills for her dad's "illness". On the way home from the pharmacy, Rarity wondered if her will was enough to take all of them at the same time. She would write her will when she got home. Even though she didn't have much to give away, and even less people to give them to except relatives. Walking in the street, she came across the orchard she often came to to buy apples for her daily needs. A filly about her age... what was her name?... Oh yeah, Applejack, was standing at the entrance to the orchard. Applejack smiled and waved to her.
"Hiya, Miss Rarity! Do ya need some apples today?" Applejack said, practically bouncing from excitement.
"No thank you, Applejack, I have some important business to take care of today." Rarity answered, smiling sadly. It would be the last business I will ever take care of, she thought sadly.
"Okay then. What about anotha time? I need some help around the farm, and you can meet my big brother and baby sister!" Applejack smiled, not even fazed.
Rarity's curiosity piked. "Maybe tomorrow, Applejack. I'll see how it works out."
"Kay! See ya tomorrow then!" Applejack said, actually bouncing this time.
As Rarity trotted away, she wondered why the orange filly was so energetic. Either way, unconsciously, she was looking forward to tomorrow.
"Hiya, Miss Rarity!" Applejack grinned from the entrance to the orchard. Rarity had brought her get-down-and-dirty clothes today. That was, a hazmat suit.
As Applejack walked her to the big red barn and the house behind it, she kept up an endless flow of information about the barn and surrounding orchard. Rarity acted politely, being nice to the residents of the household. On the inside, though, she was a bouncing ball of bubbling energy.
Over the next few weeks, Rarity made visits to Applejack, who helped her with her homework and accepted her as a sister. Applejack made school slightly more bearable, even coming to school eat lunch with her. But every night, Rarity would stare at those pills, and decide to wait one more day to take the whole bottle.
One night, Rarity put those pills in a secure place, finally deeming them unimportant and her life much more valuable.
Present day
As Rarity finished her short story, the entire library was silent, thinking of the disastrous consequences that small bottle of pills could of had. Applejack reached around the table, pulling Rarity into a long hug. Everypony else joined in, comforting the mare who had almost ended her life at such a young age. Applejack held onto her friend, swearing to herself that she would find every one of those bullies and kick their faces in. Rarity held onto the person who had saved her from the worst decision of her life, and silently thanked her for everything she had done.